A gunman in an Afghan Border Police uniform who killed six U.S. troops was a reliable officer who had been with the force for three years, a senior official said Wednesday.

But the Taliban claimed that Hezatullah had been a member of the militant group who joined the border police precisely to launch an attack on U.S. forces.

Six U.S. troops died Monday when a gunman opened fired on NATO-led service members, the Pentagon said.

Hezatullah, a 23-year-old who goes by one name, was a trusted member of the border police and had been receiving training from coalition forces, said Aminullah Amarkhil, commander of the border police in eastern Nangarhar province.

soundoff(5 Responses)

Dan in Lafayette, IN

You should too BANGASH, you know there are 285,000 afghan police and army forces wanting to be rid of the Taliban and it's terrorists allies, but be sure some of them are infiltrators and would feel God would rejoice in the killings of the people who are trying to help Afghanistan become a modern state with human rights for everyone!

Taliban may not be involved however they exploit this in their favor but one fact is very much clear that Izatullah might have seen US soldiers in disgracing Afghans during military operations wherein innocents are killed mercilessly and are being dragged out of their homes during search operations. Another possibility is Afghan nature that he can not afford to see foreigners with guns in their hands on their soil. May be this Afghan during three years spotless service might have seen or have reached the conclusion that Americans in the name of war on terror have occupied their homeland. Whatever may be the reason but this is clear that it has added to the death toll of this year. Dindy your point too have some weight but your advice for return of troops is against the interests of MIC and Pentagon therefore think before you speak.

Yakubi believe me you are just a shame to Islam and Muslims as by sticking to Hindus you in fact divert attention of these valuable commentators from original issues which has faced entire humanity with this humiliations. People like you in every religion have destroyed their respective religions and history is full of such examples which people like you intentionally ignore for their nefarious deigns. We being Muslims cannot hate any human being until he is not involved in actions, harmful for humanity. We love and respect all prophets and all revealed books and our Quran invite followers of all religions to come together and jointly work for the welfare of all human beings and live like one Umma. This universal message of prophet Muhammad which every Muslim believe is a message of God but the war mongers like you have always defamed and confined to you few one. Today every where humanity is moving towards globalization and this message of God is getting its true shape where you and similar in other religions will have no place.

No he was not a reliable officer . But was pretending. He was collecting intelligence and was doing lots of damage secretly. The LTTE member who killed former president Premadasa in Sri lanka lived with him as a faithful servant for four years before he killed president in a blast. This is true nature of Terrorists. Should not trust . Now enough sacrifice . Bin was old and sick some time ago. May be he is dead by now. Troops must return home. Let the Afghan Army Handle this .Also citizen must stand up against rude rulers.

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